Maddon reaches deal to be new Angels manager

The Los Angeles Angels have reached an agreement with Joe Maddon to make him their next manager, the team announced Wednesday.

Maddon is expected to receive a three-year contract in the $12 million to $15 million range, a source told ESPN. He will be formally introduced by the team at a news conference next week.

“We are thrilled that Joe is coming back home and bringing an exciting brand of baseball to our fans,” general manager Billy Eppler said. “Every stop he has made throughout his managerial career, he has built a culture that is focused on winning while also allowing his players to thrive. We believe Joe will be a great asset for our club and look forward to him leading the team to another World Series championship.”

Maddon, 65, is returning to the Angels organization — with whom he spent the first three decades of his career — after managing the Chicago Cubs for five seasons and leading the franchise to its first World Series title in 108 years in 2016.

He had been linked to the Angels job ever since the team fired Brad Ausmus on Sept. 30, a day after Maddon and the Cubs announced they were parting ways.

The Angels finished 72-90 during Ausmus’ only season as manager.

Maddon signed with the Angels as an undrafted catcher in 1975, and he spent the next 31 years working at almost every level of the organization as a player, coach and manager. He served as a big league assistant coach under five managers, and he had two stints as the Angels’ interim manager.

His last six seasons with the team was as Mike Scioscia’s bench coach from 2000 to 2005, and he was the Angels’ bench coach during their championship season in 2002. Maddon left to manage the Tampa Bay Rays in 2006 for nine mostly successful seasons, including the team’s only World Series appearance in 2008.

Maddon signed a five-year, $25 million deal with the Cubs prior to the 2015 season, and the team finished above .500 in each of his five seasons. His .582 winning percentage ranks second all time in franchise history, behind only Frank Chance (768-389, .664, from 1905 to ’12).

In 2016, Maddon guided Chicago to 103 regular-season wins and then a long-awaited World Series title that postseason. He was credited with changing the culture and creating a loose atmosphere for his players during a pressure-filled time when they were picked by many to win it all.

Maddon inherits a franchise in turmoil following an Outside the Lines report that team employees allegedly were aware of Tyler Skaggs’ opioid use prior to his July 1 death and didn’t inform the commissioner’s office. The Angels could face significant sanctions from Major League Baseball if it finds the allegations were true.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Jesse Rogers and The Associated Press contributed to this report.